ATIP Mission

We seek to promote near-term sea changes in public consciousness and government policy, implementing a needed balance between appropriate treatment of  intractable pain, versus addressing a real but presently mis-defined “addiction crisis” in America and Canada.

The present situation

There is widespread awareness of human tragedy in the addiction of millions of citizens and the yearly premature deaths of tens of thousands.  This awareness is unfortunately distorted by false assignments of causes and effects in addiction, and by false attribution of the causes to medical treatment of pain.   These distortions if continued will guarantee that no sustainable solution is reached for reclaiming a generation from addiction, while at the same time hundreds of thousands of people in unremitting pain will be further harmed or killed by patient abuse and desertion.

Definitions:  Distinctions between acute, chronic, and intractable pain are often imprecise, even in medical literature.  One attempt to define these categories can be found at

http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/chronic-pain-discussions/general-support/32755-what-is-acute-chronc-and-intractable-pain

Bridging and unifying these distinctions, AITP takes as a starting point, a principle incorporated  in “The CDC’s Fictitious Opioid Epidemic, Part 2”  published by the Journal of Medicine of the US National College of Physicians, April 15, 2017.

“There should be no distinction in principle between the objectives of treating pain which is acute, chronic, or associated with advanced medical conditions assessed to be terminal. The objectives in all three cases are to alleviate suffering, promote patient functioning and improve quality of life. In this sense, treatment of pain is always “palliative”. To deny treatment of pain when effective means exist to manage it, is a fundamental violation of human rights.”

Within this framework, “intractable” may be taken to mean any pain which is resistant to multiple treatment modes or therapies, whether acute, chronic, or associated with end of life.

The Near Term Strategy

The Strategy of the Alliance has two primary near term Objectives:

Objective A. Educating legislators at State and Federal level on the immediate need to redirect public policy on addiction versus the treatment of pain, and

Objective B. Petitioning and influencing public media to tell “the other side of the opioid crisis”, revealing the damage being done to pain patients by restriction of opioid pain relief and demanding greater balance in dominant media narratives.

Objective A:  Educating legislators will comprise the following:

  1. Write succinct and authoritative scripts for patient representatives to use in lobbying their State and Federal legislators in person during office visits.
  2. Write scientifically referenced briefing papers for delivery to legislator staffs by patient lobbyists
  3. Recruit patient (and family) lobbyists in social media
  4. Provide interview scripts and staff briefing papers for in-person interviews demanding that Federal legislators sign out or join letters to CDC requiring repeal of guidelines.
  5. Provide interview scripts and staff briefing papers for in-person interviews petitioning governors and State Departments of Health to support guideline repeal and repeal of restrictive State laws.
  6. Support patient lobbyists with preparatory phone interviews and rehearsal sessions.
  7. Maintain databases on legislative staff names and contact phones/emails for active follow-up on lobbyist visits.
  8. Recruit and organize State affiliates to promote local lobbying, possibly through Facebook.
  9. Lobby for ATIP members joining as patient advocates in Federal and State task forces addressing opioids or addiction policy and medical best practice.

Objective B:  Influencing public media will comprise the following:

  1. Identify current articles from social media contacts, where a Truth Squad commentary may be needed.
  2. Medical professionals and patients who are already recognized in media, will write articles which challenge erroneous assumptions of government policy which are harmful to pain patients.
  3. Solicit more writers able to submit articles to media, correcting the errors and abuses of the present dominant public narrative.
  4. Support writers with bibliography references on intractable pain or policy, and proof reading services to improve submission success rates.
  5. Identify other pain related organizations that may be natural allies, and reach out to explore coordinated efforts.
  6. Patients or family members call local and area press editors to request reporter interviews at home or in studio.
  7. Provide speakers for audio/radio or video/television interview venues where the truths of intractable pain and addiction can be told.

the intermediate to longer term Strategy

Many of these Objectives can be pursued concurrently as we identify people to moderate and guide them.  But none should be advertised widely until we have someone in place to “own” them.

Objective C:  Seek the removal and discrediting of public figures who have advocated for policy which harms pain patients.

Objective D:  create a resource website with information and materials needed for Objectives A and B.  (new)

Objective E:  Seek legal representation for class action, ADA or other suits to overturn or repeal State and Federal laws or administrative actions which harm patients by denying them effective treatment.  (alternately when funds are available, represent a patient suing a  hospital or doctor practice for damages)

Objective F:  Obtain 501-C3 or other Non Profit status to promote fund raising initiatives. Even without 501-C3 status, raise funds if needed for periodic administration and operating expenses of ATIP staff (site setup and ISP costs) and patient lobbyists (travel expenses)

Objective G:  (Only if nothing else works) Organize public demonstrations to embarrass public officials and contradict anti-opioid advocates on behalf of intractable pain patients.

Underlying Assumptions and Credos

Letter writing and petitions don’t work in the current political climate.

Face to face lobbying puts a human face on chronic pain for policy makers and opinion leaders/shapers

Action speaks louder and more effectively than words. If you’re not here to do something actively and in-person, then maybe you need to join a Facebook support group.

Public demonstrations require a LOT of people if they aren’t to become failures in the public eye (see the Washington Rally Against Pain as one example).

Rev. 10/17